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At least six dead after South Pacific quake

Emergency crews are heading to remote communities in the Solomon Islands to assess the damage caused by a tsunami which left at least six people dead and destroyed three villages.

Yesterday a magnitude 8.0 earthquake caused major damage to three villages on the Santa Cruz islands, which are part of the Solomons, triggering a tsunami which sparked warnings across the South Pacific.

At least three villages were flattened by a one-metre wave that surged inland.

Humanitarian group World Vision says at least 100 homes have been destroyed.

Solomon Islands police spokesman Godfrey Abia says it is still unclear how many people may have been affected.

"Some of the villages close to the coastal area have been totally wiped out by the waves and it travelled further inland, some 500 metres," he said.

"Those communities and those places are very remote. We cannot really confirm how many people live in any of those villages."

The quake struck near the Santa Cruz islands, about 300 kilometres east of the Solomons, the Hawaii-based Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre said.

A 90-centimetre tsunami hit Lata in remote Temotu province, said the centre, which later cancelled warnings for other South Pacific islands, as well as for Australia and New Zealand.

An 11-centimetre wave hit Vanuatu, while a tsunami of about 50 centimetres reportedly hit New Caledonia. A small wave also hit Japan and Papua New Guinea. The Manus Island detention centre was evacuated as a precaution.

The US Geological Survey recorded more than 20 quakes near the Santa Cruz Islands, some registering 6.6 and 6.4.

Solomon Islands police commissioner John Lansley said the area around Lata was one of the hardest hit.

"We understand a part of the airstrip has been damaged, which is going to cause some issues in respect to getting relief aid out there, but that is being assessed at this moment," he said.